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Third Street Treat

The food at Trastevere, an Italian restaurant in the heart of Santa Monica’s famous Third Street Promenade, is a true delight. The ambiance is romantic (table candles, white table cloths, a patio where you can dine under the starry LA sky), the service was prompt and friendly, and the location simply can’t be beat. In the above picture you can see the Pomodoro e Mozzarella Bruschette. The tomatoes were amazingly fresh, the mozzarella was cut down to the perfect size (sometimes it’s too big on these kinds of dishes, and other times it’s scant), and the basil was so flavorful it may as well have been plucked right off of the plant immediately before we ate it. I also have to mention the complimentary bread (which was nice and fluffy, served warm). Usually, complimentary bread is nothing to write home about, but Trastevere’s bread is so good. And surprisingly enough, it’s served up with a tantalizing olive tapenade that makes my mouth water just to remember it. I could probably just eat this bread and tapenade all day (if the rest of the food wasn’t so damn delicious).

For the main course, I ordered the Ricotta e Spinaci Pizza (below). Now, usually I’m not a fan of cooked spinach, but I thought I’ve give it a whirl. Let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed! This pizza (which doesn’t have marinara sauce) was so light, and it managed to walk that fine line between substantially-doughy and thin-and-crispy, resulting in a nice crispiness on the outer edges of the crust without any sogginess or heaviness in the rest of the dough. It was a culinary experience I’d love to repeat.